Conversation 012-103

TapeTape 12StartSaturday, October 23, 1971 at 11:19 AMEndSaturday, October 23, 1971 at 11:31 AMTape start time03:58:09Tape end time04:10:20ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  White House operator;  Alvarez, Luis EcheverriaRecording deviceWhite House Telephone

On October 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Luis Echeverria Alvarez talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:19 am and 11:31 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-103 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 012-103

Date: October 23, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:19 am and 11:31 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 601-12C]

     President Luis Echeverria Alvarez

The President talked with second operator.

     Language of conversation
          -English
                -Translation
                     -Spanish

The President talked with President Echeverria between 11:31 pm and 11:43 pm.

     Salutations

     Robert H. Finch
          -Mexico

     The President’s schedule
          -Possible future meeting with Echeverria

     United Nations [UN] vote on Chinese representation
          -Mexico
               -US-Mexican relations
                      -The President’s view
          -Future of the UN
          -Taiwan
          -People's Republic of China [PRC]
          -The US position
               -Possible Mexican position

     Greetings
          -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
          -Mrs. Echeverria

     UN vote on Chinese representation
         -Mexican Policy
               -Emilio O. Rabasa
                     -William P. Rogers
                           -Possible meeting

     Mexican-American relations
          -Rabasa
               -Rogers
          -Mexican decision on US representation
          -Mexican foreign policy

                                                                              Conversation No. 012-104

Date: October 23, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:43 am and 11:53 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President conferred with an unknown person.

[See Conversation No. 601-13]

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Request for call to Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello.
Mr. President, President Echeverria.
Yes.
Ready, operator.
I don't know, is Mr. Nixon going to speak in Spanish or English?
I will speak in English, but then I will have it translated sentence by sentence in Spanish.
Oh, all right.
Did you get that, operator?
Pretty good.
First, Mr. President, I want to thank you very much for taking this call this morning, on this Saturday morning.
In primer lugar, señor presidente, quiero agradecerle por haber aceptado esta llamada en esta mañana de sábado.
Dígale usted al señor presidente que le mando mis saludos muy afectuosos y que siempre me será grato hablar con él.
Mr. President, he wants to say that he sends you his most affectionate greetings, and it is always a pleasure to talk with you.
And also, Mr. President, while I have you on the phone, I am looking forward very much to Mr. Finch's report after he pays a visit to Mexico on the trip that I have sent him.
Y ahora que estamos hablando, señor Presidente, estoy anticipando con mucho interés el informe que me ha de presentar el señor Finch después del viaje que va a hacer a la América Latina, que incluirá naturalmente una escala en México.
Cómo no, dígale que lo recibiremos con todo interés.
We will receive, Mr. Finch, with the greatest of interest.
And, of course, I'm looking forward to the chance for the President and me to meet personally again, too, at some time that is convenient.
I feel that some way, Mr. President, we'll have to find a way to do this.
I have called you this morning to present to you my views on a subject I consider to be of the greatest importance.
the upcoming United Nations vote on Chinese representation, which will probably occur on Tuesday, October 26th.
As you know, I have always held the greatest respect for the independence and integrity of your great country, and also of the right of your country to have its own independent foreign policy.
Mr. President, I have called you this morning to present my points of view on a topic that is of utmost importance to me, namely the vote that will probably be held in the United Nations on Tuesday, October 26, on the issue of Chinese representation in that body.
I also cherish our personal relationship, and for this reason I'm confident that I can speak to you in the frankest terms about our position on this important issue.
I consider this issue to be one which touches upon the very survival of the United Nations.
as a viable world body, separate and distinct from the complex issue of Chinese representation.
It is my conviction that the removal of an honorable member of the United Nations
any member by a simple majority vote would be a precedent of the most disastrous consequences which could have the most serious implications for the future
vitality and survival of the United Nations.
I have the conviction, Mr. President, that the elimination of an honorable member of the United Nations, and I want to say with this any member, for just a simple majority vote, would establish a precedent with consequences as disastrous as possible that could represent very serious implications for the vitality and future survival of this organization.
And it's for this reason that with great respect that I am relying upon the traditional friendship which has existed between our two countries, and more importantly, the personal relationship between the two of us, which has been such a great source of satisfaction to me.
to urge you to consider voting with the United States in favor of making the issue of the expulsion of the government of Taiwan an important question, and to at the same time support the United States on the position that this matter should be one of priority during the Tuesday's deliberation.
For this reason, Mr. President, and with all the great respect that is deserved, I support the traditional friendship that has existed for so long between our two nations, and what is even more important for me, the personal relationships that exist between you and me, between the two of us, which has been for me a source of great satisfaction, to urge you to consider the vote that accompanies the United States in the vote, in the sense that the issue of the expulsion of the government of Taiwan is considered as an important issue.
As you know, Mr. President, my position is that the People's Republic of China, mainland China, should be admitted to the United Nations
but that the Republic of China on Taiwan should not be expelled from the United Nations.
And I think this position is consistent with the important question vote.
Mr. President, I advocate for the admission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations, but at the same time, we do not want the Republic of China in Taiwan to be expelled.
I can only say that I realize this is a very difficult and complex issue for your government and if you can find it possible to vote
With the United States and other nations on this issue alone, I would consider it a very great personal favor.
I say all of this with great respect, of course, for the right of you and your government to reach your independent decision on it.
Mr. President, all this means that we are confronted with a situation that is extremely complex and difficult, and I know that the Mexican government also confronts a decision that will be complex and difficult for the government.
But I wanted to say that if you can accompany the United States and other nations in this vote,
we would be extremely grateful as a personal favor.
And I say this and I want to emphasize and emphasize that I say it within the framework of the greatest respect for you and your government, because I know that you and your government will be the ones who will have to make the decision about what they have to decide.
Yes, of course.
And I thank you very much for allowing me to impose on your time.
And Mrs. Nixon, who is going to join me in a few minutes, joins me in sending our very best to Mrs. Echevarria.
And we look forward to seeing both of you in the near future.
Well, Mr. President, again, thank you very much for allowing me to impose on your time this Saturday morning, and Mrs. Nixon, who will come to accompany me in a few minutes, accompanies me in begging you to accept, you and your wife, our best votes, and expressing the hope that we can see you both soon.
Of course.
Tell the President that...
Mr. President, I am now having an in-depth study of this matter which is so complex and so important.
Now, here in Mexico, we have an opinion that was shaped quite a long time ago, and this represents a problem for us now.
I want to ask you this.
I sent a call to the Secretary of Relations, Mr. Rabaza, and my representative in the United Nations.
This afternoon, I'm going to talk to them.
que yo quiero preguntarle si es posible que mañana domingo o el lunes en la mañana el señor Rogers lo reciba a Rabasa para que hable con él unos minutos que me parece muy importante
I would like Mr. Rogers to know some considerations derived from direct observations there in the United Nations that Mexico has collected, that simply I need my answer on Monday morning, by way here of the Secretary of Foreign Relations, Rabasa, if he talks in Washington or New York, I do not know where Mr. Rogers is, with Rabasa.
Fine, Mr. President, one thing I would like to ask you now.
I'm calling upon the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Rabassa, and my representative at the UN for a meeting this afternoon in which we will discuss this issue.
And I would like to ask you if it would be possible to send, either Sunday or perhaps Monday morning, send Mr. Rabassa to Washington or to New York, wherever Mr. Rogers is, to talk with Secretary Rogers.
And I think that it would be important for Secretary Rogers to hear from Mr. Rabassa's lips
some information that our delegation has picked up in the corridors of the UN.
And as I said, if it would be possible, I don't know whether Secretary Rogers is in Washington or New York, for him to spare a few minutes for Secretary Rabas on Monday morning, I think it would be very important.
I will arrange that.
Secretary Rogers will be going up to New York to be there on Monday, the day before the vote.
And I will personally say that we will arrange a time that's mutually convenient for whoever you want to have see him.
Yes, I will personally take care of that, Mr. President.
Secretary Rogers will go to New York on Monday, that is, the day before the vote, and I will take care that he, apart from some time that is mutually satisfactory for him and for any representative that you may send.
That's right.
Tell him, Mr. President, that you already know that Mexico and I are friends of the United States and President Nixon.
That all the forms of reciprocal collaboration that may exist are always here, encouraged.
That this matter has become a little complicated, which is why I want Rabasa to talk to Roger.
That we see the best way and that it already makes some considerations that I personally want the base to make another Rogers, that I ratify my friendship, my political solidarity, right?
That is the base that we are fighting in many aspects for the same causes and with the same ideas.
Mr. President, I want to reiterate that Mexico and myself personally are friends of the United States and of you, President Nixon, and that we try to find all possible ways of fostering reciprocal cooperation in anything that we can.
But this matter we are discussing has become a very complex one, and this is what I want Secretary Rabassa to transmit to Secretary Rogers.
I want certain considerations that we have in coming to our own decisions.
I would like to reiterate that we have a joint, a common cause.
We fight for the same causes on many occasions.
And so there is a political platform and a basis of friendship, which is a very solid one.
And on this basis, I think that we will continue fighting for many of the same causes in the future.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
Muchas gracias, señor presidente.
It's been a great pleasure talking with you.
It's a great pleasure.
Thank you.